Retrograde

 

THE BOOK: Retrograde

PUBLISHED IN: 2017

THE AUTHOR: Kat Hausler

THE EDITOR: Tricia Reeks

THE PUBLISHER: Meerkat Press

SUMMARY:  On a warm summer day in Berlin, Helena is hit by a truck while crossing the street. She awakens to the loving face of her husband Joachim. In addition to a few broken bones, she realizes she can’t remember anything about the accident, or even the last few years leading up to it. Retrograde amnesia the doctors call it and assure her that with time, she should regain her memory. At loose ends after another botched relationship, Joachim doesn’t intend to lie to his estranged wife. But when he realizes that she doesn’t remember their separation, he can’t bring himself to tell her. So he does what any rational man would do: he takes her home and pretends they were never apart. As the lies accumulate, Helena senses something isn’t quite right. When the outside world encroaches, she must face an unsettling truth and decide what the past will mean for their future.

THE BACK STORY: I was interested in writing about amnesia because I’m fascinated by memory in general, and by the specific role the past plays in relationships. People often express a wish to go back and start over, but is that possible, and is it really what they want?

WHY THIS TITLE: One of the protagonists suffers from retrograde amnesia, meaning that she has limited access to past memories. But of course it’s also a reference to going back to an earlier time, as the characters in the book try to.

WHY SOMEONE WOULD WANT TO READ IT: It addresses universal questions about the power and limits of intimacy and trust as the two protagonists try to navigate out of an impossible situation.

REVIEW COMMENTS:

From Paperback Paris: “Kat Hausler weaves a beautiful, yet incredibly deceptive story of love in Retrograde …  Hausler’s debut novel was an incredibly beautiful look at love put through the test of time. ….  a delightful read that will keep you turning pages in a frantic attempt to discover whether or not Helena and Joachim remain together.”

From Nudge Books: “This disturbing, haunting and powerful story explores the minutiae of the relationship between the couple as they start to live together again . . . the ending was a masterpiece of the power of “less is more” in story-telling – but if you want to know what it is, then you will have to read this wonderful novel.”

From Kirkus Reviews: “Hausler’s ability to describe the precarious state of the emotions involved is consistently convincing. . . . A strongly written tale about resurrecting a marriage under the most unusual and mysterious of circumstances.”

AUTHOR PROFILE: Originally from Virginia, Kat Hausler is a graduate of New York University and holds an M.F.A. in Fiction from Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she was the recipient of a Baumeister Fellowship. Her work has been published by 34th Parallel, Inkspill Magazine, All Things That Matter Press, Rozlyn Press, Porridge Magazine, LitReactor and BlazeVOX, among others. Her debut novel Retrograde was published by Meerkat Press in September 2017. She also works as a translator in Berlin.

AUTHOR COMMENTS: One of the most interesting parts about hearing from readers and reviewers has been seeing all the different emotional reactions they had, from reflecting on their own past relationships to becoming angry with the main characters.

SAMPLE CHAPTER: Under “Look inside” https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1946154024/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

LOCAL OUTLETS: Can be ordered from Barnes and Noble, Waterstones or any local bookstore via the distributors (Midpoint Trade in the U.S. or Gazelle in Europe) or the publisher (Meerkat Press)

WHERE ELSE TO BUY IT:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1946154024/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

https://www.bookdepository.com/Retrograde-Kat-Hausler/9781946154026

PRICE: Currently $11.52 in paperback or $2.40 on Kindle (prices vary) on Amazon

CONTACT THE AUTHOR: twitter.com/Kat_Fiction or facebook.com/kathauslerfiction